Ever since she was a child in Costa Rica, art has always been something Ruth Forman has loved.
Now, as an adult living in Oxford, Forman not only is a professional painter, she also teaches others her craft. Currently, Forman offers one-stroke painting classes.
One-stroke painting, which originated in Florida, allows an artist to do everything in one stroke ? blending colors, shading and highlighting.
‘This technique is very popular right now since it’s a fast, unique way to paint and easy to learn,? Forman said. ‘You can paint on just about any surface.?
Among those surfaces are fabric, wood, glass and tin. One-stroke and faux finishing (a style of painting designed to create visual appeal for a room or object) can be done anywhere ? walls, furniture, tables.
Formally trained in Costa Rica as a floral designer, Forman chose to expand her artistic skills and training after moving to Michigan 12 years ago. Between 2002 and 2004, she earned various certifications to teach one-stroke painting.
She studied various other art crafts, such as interior decoration, garden design and studied at Costa Rica’s School of Fine Arts.
Another passion of Forman’s is creating jewelry from lampwork glass beads. Often these can be used to make very colorful designs in jewelry. Forman designs her own beads and works with Moretti glass from Italy. It can be an interesting experience making it, as she uses a controlled flame to melt the glass to create the beads. ‘All the beads are unique since they’re handcrafted,? she said. ‘I love it. It’s not like a painting, but then it is.?
Perhaps it’s ironic that an art form that Forman loves is one she came upon by accident. While visiting her mother in Costa Rica last year, she saw a store that sold stained glass and supplies. Since she used to do stained glass work, she decided to go inside and see what they had. Soon, she was talking with the owner and attended intensive seminars about the glasswork.
The result are colorful beads of every imaginable shape.
For those interested in art, Forman suggests that they study colors, design, composition, then learn as much as they can from various artists. ‘Every person has their own skills that they’re born with,? she said. ‘I encourage my students to not color by numbers but try to create and be original.?
Forman’s one-stroke painting classes are about three hours long, range from three to eight students and are usually offered from morning to evening Tuesdays and Wednesdays.
Forman’s website is at www.ruthfauxfinish.com, and she can be reached at 248-969-2996.